The Greener View: Mother's Day for Gardening Moms

Jeff Rugg on May 6, 2026

If you have a mother or are married to a mom who is a gardener, this article is for you. If you are the gardening mom, then leave this article where someone you know can read it.

Mother's Day is May 10. If it is not yet May 10, then keep reading. If it is after May 10, you need more advice than this article can give you.

One thing that moms want the most is to have a day of total relaxation. Plan ahead. Create a loose schedule for the day that allows her to relax from the moment she gets up. I know that this will be harder in some households than others, but trying to give her a full day of relaxing will get credited to your account even if it doesn't all go well.

Start with breakfast in bed, or at least a breakfast she doesn't have to make herself. If you can't afford to get her a gift card for a day at a spa, then create the spa at your house.

We have already established that this article is for gardening moms, so give her flowers. You know her favorite flowers, right? Start with flowers at the breakfast table. The flowers may be cut flowers for a vase, but if possible, give her a live plant -- especially one that can be planted in the garden. You have to do the planting. Don't let her do the work.

Hanging baskets from the garden center add instant color. They don't have to stay hanging. They can be taken out and used in the garden or in other patio containers.

Has she been asking for help with a gardening chore? Plan to do it. What tools do you need? Gather everything in advance so that she sees you have put thought into this project. Men see the project in steps to accomplish. Plan it. Do it. Relax. Women see the project as an act of love and devotion to her family. She is not as concerned with getting it done as she is enjoying the process.

Unless she has specifically asked for a garden tool, don't give her tools. That is like giving her a vacuum cleaner for her birthday. You can give her gardening gloves or a gardening hat, as they protect her skin. Your local garden center will have a selection of pretty gloves. Gloves can be short for muddy work, or they can be long to protect her from thorns while pruning roses or harvesting blackberries.

Another good gift for her skin is lotions from Burt's Bees. They also have lip balms and sunscreens. These gifts show your love for her as you are trying to protect her.

Protect her fingernails with a gentle hand-held scrub brush to remove the dirt from her hands. Add some lavender soap and a washcloth or towel with a flowery pattern.

Is she a birthday card sender? Add a pack of botanical note cards from the company called Botanical Interests.

Go to a hobby store and find a wicker basket to put all of these things in and you have a great gift. You may not be able to do everything for her on Mother's Day, but make sure she has a totally restful day as much as you can. Let her enjoy her garden by resting in it and not working in it.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

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Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@greenerview.com. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.